Latest news with #NiketKaushik
Hans India
4 days ago
- Hans India
Mumbai: Violated for 3 months, Bangladeshi minor rescued from flesh trade racket; 12 held
Mumbai: A Bangladeshi minor girl, subjected to brutal sexual abuse and violation for three months across Maharashtra, was rescued by the Maharashtra police and at least 12 persons with direct involvement in the flesh trade racket were apprehended. The racket, operating from Naigaon near Vasai, about 50 km from Mumbai, sent shockwaves across the city as shocking details emerged about her sexual exploitation and torture for over three months, reportedly by more than 200 men. The prostitution racket, when busted by Mumbai police, revealed that the Bangladeshi girl was pushed into the flesh trade by forging her documents, and the human trafficking gang also involved some female members. Speaking to IANS, a police official shared the modus operandi of racketeers and how they trapped the minor girl into prostitution. Assistant Commissioner of Police Madan Ballal, from the Mira-Bhayander Vasai-Virar (MBVV) Police Commissionerate, described the case as both serious and sensitive due to the minor's involvement. "We have rescued two victims, one a 14-year-old minor and another aged 21. Nine suspects, including two agents, are in custody. The victims were lured to India, tortured, and forced into sexual activities. Fake documents were used to alter their ages, and we are actively investigating to apprehend the remaining accused, including the customers involved." The Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) of the MBVV police, under the leadership of Police Commissioner Niket Kaushik and with assistance from NGOs Exodus Road India Foundation and Harmony Foundation, conducted the operation on July 26 to free the minor from the clutches of her exploiters. The victim, originally from Bangladesh, shared a chilling account with the officials. She revealed that she fled her home after failing an examination, fearing harsh punishment from her parents. A woman named Ruby, known to the girl, lured her to Kolkata, where fake documents were created to alter her age, misrepresenting her as older to facilitate her exploitation. From Kolkata, the minor was trafficked to Nadiad in Gujarat, where she endured rape and blackmail. An elderly man allegedly took obscene photographs, using them to coerce her into prostitution. The cycle of abuse continued as she was bought and sold across multiple cities in Gujarat and Maharashtra, trapped by fear and terror. The breakthrough came when intelligence reached the MBVV police and their NGO partners about the girl's presence in Naigaon. Acting swiftly on Commissioner Kaushik's orders, the AHTU devised a meticulous plan to rescue her. The operation culminated in her liberation, and she was subsequently handed over to the Child Welfare Committee in Ulhasnagar, Thane, where she is now receiving counselling and care to help her recover from the trauma. The investigation has uncovered disturbing details, including the involvement of 12 Bangladeshi agents in the trafficking ring. Authorities have arrested nine individuals so far, including two key agents who allegedly orchestrated the operation. The Naigaon police are investigating cautiously, given the case's gravity and the minor's vulnerability. The investigation is ongoing, with authorities determined to dismantle the racket.
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Girl, 12, raped by 200 men in 3 months after being trafficked to India when she failed an exam
The 12-year-old girl was smuggled from Bangladesh into India by a woman she trusted, who ended up selling her into the sex trade where she was repeatedly abused in Nadiad, Gujarat A little girl has been saved from an Indian prostitution ring after being raped by more than 200 men in a three-month period. The girl, who is from Bangladesh, fled to India fearing she would've been beaten by her parents after failing a subject at school. A woman she knew helped to smuggle her across the border, but once in the country, she took her to Nadiad in Gujarat and sold her into the "flesh trade", according to Indian police. READ MORE: Policeman posted much-younger girlfriend on Instagram - a week later he was dead While there, she suffered months of sexual abuse until she was freed on July 26 thanks to a joint operation between a local campaign group and the local police's anti-human trafficking unit. So far, 10 arrests have been made, but campaigners say removing her from the situation is just the start of her recovery. "This girl has not even reached her teenage years, but her childhood has been stolen by such monsters in the flesh trade," said Abraham Mathai, founder-chairman of one of the NGOs involved, the Harmony Foundation. "Behind every such rescue is a child who wasn't heard; a child failed first by those meant to protect her, and then by a society that only reacts when it's too late." He also said children can become at risk if they're the victims of heavy-handed parenting. Niket Kaushik, the local police commissioner, said officers are working to uncover the network so that they can protect other vulnerable children. Activists say it's not enough, and that police need to be doing more to protect children. Madhu Shankar, an activist, said: "I have often seen minor girls begging in Vashi and Belapur areas, who are often stolen as babies from villages, brought to cities and then exploited. "They are handled by one or two elderly women who also push them into prostitution. They are even administered hormonal injections so that they attain puberty earlier." Child Rights and You conducted a study which showed a massive surge in sexual violence in India, rising 96 per cent between 2016 and 2022. Almost 40,000 cases of child rape and sexual assault were reported in the year 2022 alone. In April this year, a teen girl in India was horrifically gang raped by 23 men who allegedly passed her around and took her to new attackers at each drop-off point. The victim, aged 19, claims she was abducted by a man on her way home from her friend's house on March 29 in Varanasi, northern India. She reported that she was taken to a cafe in a nearby town, three miles away, where she met her next attacker. According to local media, the teenager was then taken by another man and his pal to a highway, where they sexually assaulted her. They then dropped her off in another town called Nadesar.
Time of India
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Day after MNS march, Mira Rd top cop shunted
Mira Bhayandar: Within 24 hours of the MNS rally in Mira-Bhayandar, where police initially denied permission only to give clearance after protests, the state govt on Wednesday transferred Mira-Bhayandar-Vasai Virar police chief Madhukar Pandey and replaced him with IPS officer Niket Kaushik, reports Vishal Rajemahadik. The rally was a counter to a protest by traders last week against the MNS attack on a shop owner for not speaking Marathi. It was preceded by a pre-dawn crackdown on MNS leaders and detentions of party supporters, described by the opposition and Shiv Sena minister Pratap Sarnaik as excessive action aimed at suppressing Marathi sentiment. A day after the rally led by MNS in Mira-Bhayandar as a counter to last week's protest by traders over Marathi speaking row, top cop Madhukar Pandey has been transferred and will now be additional director general (administration) in the state, a low-profile post that involves less interaction with the public. Niket Kaushik, the man who replaces him as police chief in the suburbs of Thane, was earlier the additional director general of the Anti-Corruption Bureau. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai Govt termed the transfer a routine one though eyebrows are being raised since it happened a day after the MNS rally. Mira Road police had been criticised for denying permission for the march though it was sought well in advance. While Sena minister Pratap Sarnaik had questioned police action, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had defended refusal of permission saying MNS deviated from the normal route sanctioned for demonstrations. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo He said there was information that there could be a law and order issue. MNS leaders from Mumbai had reached Mira Road to participate in it. Shiv Sena (UBT) activists also joined the march. Sarnaik was heckled by demonstrators when he visited the site to express solidarity with Marathi Ekikaran Samiti, which was among the organisers. He later said police had mishandled the situation. In the Vidhan Bhavan, he said he had spoken to Pandey and expressed dissatisfaction about denial of permission. He questioned the police action allowing traders to take out a protest march without police permission. Sarnaik also said it was not proper to detain someone early in the morning. MNS leaders, including its Palghar and Thane district chief Avinash Jadhav, were taken into preventive custody at 3am which had charged up the cadre and the locals. A prohibitory order was issued against Jadhav by police on Monday, restraining him from entering Mira Bhayandar to participate in the rally. He was released later in the day. The opposition had termed the police action as an attempt by the state govt to suppress Marathi voices.
Mint
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Mira-Bhayandar Police Commissioner Madhukar Pandey transferred days after MNS slapgate over Marathi row
Livemint Published 9 Jul 2025, 05:54 PM IST Mint Image Mira-Bhayandar Police Commissioner Madhukar Pandey transferred. Niket Kaushik to be the Police Commissioner. Last week, a shopkeeper was assaulted by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers for not speaking Marathi.
